The Los Angeles Unified School District has bought out the contract of its chief academic officer, a key appointee who worked closely with former Supt. Ramon C. Cortines, but who quickly fell out of favor with his successor, John Deasy.
Among other efforts, Judy Elliott oversaw the selection of a new reading program and an early academic intervention initiative. She also developed a new policy — limiting homework to no more than 10% of a student’s grade — that prompted widespread public debate this summer. Deasy ultimately shelved the idea.
Elliott will receive the salary and benefits she would have earned by completing the final year of a contract ending June 30, 2012. She’ll also be compensated for unused vacation days. The package totals $231,164. She joined the district in June 2008.
Members of the Board of Education have not universally supported Elliott but also did not applaud the cost of the buyout. Budget cuts have led the state’s largest school district to lay off thousands of employees in the last three years.
Board member Steve Zimmer said he could tolerate the buyout only because he has learned of a reserve fund set aside for such purposes.
"I'm surprised [the fund] exists but OK with the buyout if it doesn't cost a single job — if and only if," he said.
“I don’t believe we should have done it,” said board member Richard Vladovic. “You pay someone a salary and let them work or you fire them. With the money crunch, we shouldn’t buy them out.”
Vladovic also praised Elliott: “I thought she provided a lot of leadership. I’m sorry to see her go. We argued, but it was about the right things.”
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